Colin Farrell: A New Movie Star for the New Millennium

Colin Farrell

Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise have been the biggest leading men in the last two decades. Harrison is currently lost in a desperate attempt to be young. Note the pierced ear, the old enough to be his daughter, girlfriend, and his film choice of Hollywood Homicide with it's rap soundtrack. Gibson is now at a point in his career where he is only making movies that agree with his conservative and or religious views. Cruise is just plain desperate for a hit movie. Not since Jerry Maguire has he made any impact in film.

It is the new millennium. Sure, these movie stars may have more big hits ahead of them. However, a new guy is in town and he wants their jobs. In my opinion, Collin Farrell will be the major star of the current decade. Even his contemporaries, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck should worry. He is a better actor and has far more personality than both put together.

Farrell is literally every where. He has appeared in four movies this year, Daredevil in January, The Recruit in February. Phone Booth in April and S.W.A.T. in August. How many actors in recent years have done that? He also has two more films already in the can, ready for release; Veronica Guerin and Intermission.

Of his four movies released so far this year, all have debuted at number one. If that is not enough, then add last years Minority Report, which also debuted at number one. 5 consecutive number one box office movies, and he is only 27 years old.

Farrell has all the movie star requirements. Sure, he is good looking, but that is just a small part. He is also a good actor. He steals Pacino's last scene in The Recruit by simply reacting to Pacino. His Bullseye is far more animated than the somber Daredevil. His image is that of a bad boy. He is always noted for his swearing in interviews and at red carpet events. His philandering around Hollywood is the most talked about since Warren Beatty. With a illegitimate child on the way and his, reportedly, endless womanizing, he is a tabloid poster boy.

One of the things I like about him is his old school appeal. In some of our Three Movie Buffs reviews, he has been compared to a young James Cagney and a young Tyrone Power. I see him as a modern day Clark Gable, and not just because of the womanizing. Farrell being censored at red carpet events reminds me of the story about Gable pissing off Margaret Mitchell at the premiere of Gone With The Wind because he showed up drunk.

Farrell's track record is not flawless. Does anyone remember his flat performance in Hart's War? Although his last 5 movies have all opened at number one, how many do you actually think will be remembered for long? Farrell has yet to carry a huge box office hit by himself. Minority Report starred Cruise. Daredevil was Ben Affleck's vehicle. The Recruit was sold as much on Al Pacino as it was on Farrell.

The only thing keeping Farrell away from the heights of Damon or Affleck is a block buster, carried on his shoulders alone. I think Farrell would make a great Kyle Raynor, Green Lantern. A good action movie series could do wonders for his career. Either way, one thing is certain; movie goers will be hearing a lot more from this hard working, brash, charismatic actor over the next decade.